Egyptian giants Al Ahly’s hopes of lifting the FIFA Club World Cup came to an end on Tuesday as Brazil’s Fluminense sealed a 2-0 victory in the semi-finals, at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
For the six-time African champions, Kahraba started in attack, with Hussein El Shahat and Percy Tau supporting on the wings. For The South American champions, German Cano led the line while Jhon Arias and Keno were on the flanks, with former Real Madrid star Marcelo at left-back.
Al Ahly talisman Percy Tau spurned an early opening when veteran defender Felipe Melo made a crucial last-ditch sliding tackle. Ten minutes before half-time Fabio made an excellent one-handed save from a Kahraba header.
Tau was then involved in the game’s pivotal moment, bringing down Marcelo in the box with a clumsy foul. Jhon Arias converted the penalty to give Fluminense a 71st-minute lead.
Al Ahly almost responded instantly when Tau met a low cross, but lacked power on his close-range effort.
Yet there was to be no dramatic Al Ahly comeback as substitute John Kennedy curled home Fluminense’s second goal late on to seal victory.
The African champions started brightly but were ultimately outdone by the Brazilian outfit, who advance to face either Urawa Reds or Manchester City in Friday’s showpiece finale in Jeddah.
In a clash of David and Goliath on the pitch, Fluminense proved their mettle, securing a hard-fought victory to seize their opportunity on the global stage.
🇧🇷 @FluminenseFC are #ClubWC Finalists. 👏
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2023
The newly-crowned South American champions now stand one win away from completing a fairytale story in Friday’s Club World Cup finale.
For Al Ahly, the defeat marks a disappointing end to its Club World Cup aspirations, but the experience will undoubtedly fuel their determination for future success.
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